Another Record Proposal Submission From JWST Observers

The demand for JWST observations keeps increasing, both in terms of the number of proposals submitted and their average time requests.

JWST promised to accelerate the intellectual cycle and, judging by the record-breaking number of proposals received in response to the Cycle 5 Call, there is no question that the astronomical and planetary science communities are actively considering a wide range of projects that aim to change our view of the Cosmos.

The 2,935 proposals received include 2,639 General Observer proposals for 101,751 hours (vs. 8,000 hours offered at an oversubscription of 13:1), 53 Survey, 14 Pure Parallels, 243 Archival Research, 116 Target of Opportunity, and 105 Joint Programs (with HST, ALMA, Chandra, Keck, XMM, NOIRLab, NRAO, and TESS).

There are two special initiatives in Cycle 5: Long-Term Monitoring (52 proposals), and Roman Preparatory Science Programs (35 proposals). The distribution of proposals received by science category is similar to previous cycles.

The JWST community is growing and expanding. The Cycle 5 submitted proposals include 7,509 unique investigators, representing 59 countries and 47 U.S. states. Investigators come from a broad range of career stages and institutions.

This very active JWST community makes possible the peer review of the proposals. And it is this peer review that ensures a thoughtful and fair evaluation process, so that the science that gets on the telescope is deserving JWST’s invaluable time.

About 540 panelists have been recruited to participate in the Cycle 5 Telescope Allocation Committee.

If you are part of this TAC, or have participated in previous cycles, we truly value your expertise and willingness to serve in this important activity. Given the increasing demand for JWST time, STScI will continue to recruit many members from the JWST community to serve as reviewers in future Cycles.

If you receive an invitation, please consider accepting it; you can also volunteer.

Most reviewers reflect that, despite the time demand, being a TAC member is a rewarding activity, and your contribution will play an important role in maximizing the mission’s science return.

Astronomy, Astrobiology, Exoplanet,